04/09/98

How do we get kids to routinely complete and hand in their homework?

Q: How do we get kids to routinely complete and hand in their homework? All the excuses we teachers hear can be funny, but the results are far from it!

A: Teachers need administrative and Board of Education support to develop district-wide homework policies and the means for holding students accountable to them.

In one school district my children attended, where homework compliance became a major issue at the middle schools, one of the principals piloted a clever response (with Board of Education backing). Students who failed to turn in their homework assignments were required to stay after school to complete them, which meant missing out on fun activities like music lessons and sports practices. The district provided an after school bus to take students home in the late afternoon.

Teachers who supervised the after school study halls qualified for the same stipends that coaches of sports teams received. The principal often volunteered for study hall/tutorial duty, too.

By the end of the first semester, the homework bus was nearly empty each day and student grades, on average, had skyrocketed. Parents and teachers greatly appreciated the school-wide policy, which put the onus on the students themselves to take responsibility for their work and accept the consequences if they didn't. The principal's leadership and visibility further emphasized this important message to all students.

Many districts fund late busses to take students home from sports practices and other after school activities. Why not use them for homework evaders, too?

Student manuals often outline homework expectations, but do not spell out explicit consequences if ignored. Homework policies without teeth aren't worth the paper they're printed on.

Please send questions or comments to bbruno@snet.net.